saunders



(No Modem Y 5 sheets-sheet 1. 1. J. SAUNDERS. AUTUMATIC BUTTON FASTENING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 13

(No Model.) s sheets-4116er 2.

I. J. SAUNDERS. AUTOMATIC BUTTON PASTBNING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 13, 1894.

llllllllllll ATTORNEY.

3. m. e h s 1m e h s .5 n Dm. E D N U A S J. .L

(No Mode1.)

AUTOMATIC BUTTON TASTENTNG MACHINE. No. 529,139.

Patented Nov. 13, 1894.

llllillllllllllllll /NVEN 0H rf M11 w/TNESSE M /f/f l Worf/v ATTORNEY.

UND

PAST

- (No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 4. BRS.

- I. J. SA

. AUTOMATIC BUTTON ENING MACHINE.v

Patented Nov. 13, 1894.

l 1 l l l c fis AJ W/TNESSES:

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

` `I. J. SAUNDERS. .AUTOMATIG BUTTON FASTENING MACHINE.-

-Patenfed Nov. 13

A TTOH/VE Y.

w/TNESSES.-

Ils

PATENT lCritic-E.

IRA' .IAMEssAUriDERs on NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC: BUTTON- .FAS'TNING MACHINE.

sPEcIFIoATIoN forming part of.Leters`1=atetm.52e,lee, dated .November l'1 3, 17894.

Appiiaipn and Decanter 5,1892. sain No', 454.075. die model.)

To all whom/ it mayo'ncern:

Beit known that I, IRA JAMnsSAUNDEns,"

a citizen oi" the United ,S'tates,.and a residen-t ot NevglYork city, inthe countyof- New York and S t a`te ol New York, have` invented a eer-y tain new landv useful; 1I mproved Automatic Button-FasteningMachine; otwhich the fol- 'lowing isa speojiiication.. '-'"lVI y' inv e ntion relates to anew machine for :fastening shanke eye buttonsto kboots and- L shoes by thezsta'ple-likemetallic fasteners Vin ornmonus'e-' Invthis -maehine the battons` 'an'dfm'etallic fasteners are placedfin a'hpper containingd` mechanism. which,l in operation lifts'ont.. a' button 'and a," fastener.l from the hopper; delivers them ttrguiding channels,' these' 3hannels directing them toeaeh other* to be' 'uI'iited',whereuponv they are" 'acted on:l fb'y attaching'mechanism which attachesthe ybutton by its fastener',.to the sho'e, as the lat ftefr is supported on ablock Vor anvil'fi In thejannexeddrawingsl haveshowna nia- 'chine which illustratesA my invention, wheref ,Figure i, is 'a frbnt--eivaaon-- Figs. 2,' v3 and 4,snow the attachin'gmechanism in dif- Vferefnt'posi-tims. Fig'.v 5 isa-vertieal section taken throughthe fasteneijtchannel at right angles to Fig. -1-. Fig.' r6 is a vertical section-v Vtaken `through`the butto-nehannel' and the hopper. Fig.' 7I shorts the 'hopper 'as-eeen"A mechanism'.` Eig.' '13 shows .a button as at,

tachedto 'the-` stoek vershoe with 'a metallic .e astenerhythe machine; all; o f which 'are' hereinafteiin'ore-ffnllyf described.

A/in said drawings indicates the body of mass. The bottom of each eoi'npamtmentv is inclined downward' toward the rear, Fig. '6.

- Means arensed .for taking buttons from out the mass, as lthey lie in the hopper, and conducting themv t'o the machine; and like means for taking the fasteners from the mass in the "hopper, and directing theminto the machine'.

Such means here consists of levers C, D, pivoted at e in a part of the hopper'at the front n'pperS'de, see Figsjf'- and 8; in which. groove thebuttonsare takennp when the free end side -tl-lereof, Figs. and-.6,5 andadap'ted to be Vibrated in ycorresponding vertical planes,

Figs. 6; and 8. They are arranged adjacent to each other .in slots adaptedtoreceive them, formedfin'and through. the' bottomfoffjeach compartment; see Fig. 8,"'an d so occupy said :slots'as to'keep the bottom Aoffthe hopper .closed at all times and iuallposit-ions of such levers.. They are l operatedifroin adrivo leverl 'Gr.which is'p i'v )tefd "in-1 the -b'o'dy of the m a` vchine frameg'at there'ar, Fi'g.6.' This lever'has anextension piece ig,Y reaching 'up and passing between tho two take-levers@ D.- I tcaries two stud's'g g in opposite sides, which enter and :engage the respective take-leversiby a .cam -slot hA formed lin each,' ligs. 5 6 and 8, thus loperating both -takeilevers 'at once and -by the saine motionof the drive-lever; When-the takeflevers are in their lowest positionJ see 'dotted 1ine's yin Figs. 5 'and V6 5 "theyincline-downward toward the' rear, of

the machine, corresponding to 'the shapeof;

the hopper jbot'toin.' 'Theselevers,' n opera- .tion,'are pushedup through themass of arti'-l cles '(buttons' 'or' fasteners) in the hopper; taking some of 4the articles with them.lv In their highest position they .are sharply inclined in the opposite directiom toward the lfront, see Figs'. 5 andi, causing/the said 'arti' cles jte" slide down thereon by 'gravitationto the-v 'fro'n-tf oi?y Vthe machineg there entering guiding .channels Iii/, JS,I one for thev buttons;

*and the otherfr the-'fasteners. I provide means operatingto adj ust all--the 'buttons'."unifornlly "E O' one position,` heads-up,4

as theyslid'e'dovsn 'the' inclined take-levers; land also'ineans for throwing ol andre) eating -all such-jfst'do not so adjust or lright :themselves; whereby'thosewhich' d ojnot become 4properly righ-ted aijeprecluded frein'passing finto .the machine.. Withthese objects the' of this lever is- 'elevated,` There thegrooveis wide and gradually narrows to the dimensions of theflaitwise-thichnessof the button eyes. .T herefis also a-.s'tationary guard staple T erected onthis lleverne'ar thenarrow end of the groove, the bowof which is just'large enoughto permit the-button' head topass through.

the wide part of the groove @have theirvshaukeyesgradually drawn to the center, as the buttons slide down the inclined lever, Fig.- 6,

causing the heads of the buttons to comee uppermost. At the same time the gradual,

narrowing ofV the groove towardthe pivoted end of the leVe1,.Fig.'9, so turns the buttons by their shank-eyes that they finally adjust themselves with the plane of the button eye parallel with the sides ofthe narrow groove, and in this attitude willpass throughthe guard T, and thence into the guiding channel E, which Vis practically a continuation of the groove in the take-lever. See Figsl and 6. But when the buttons taken up so lodge on the'take-lever that the shank-eye is out- 'side of the groove a,they cannot beacted on for adjustment by `said groove; and as they slide i down the inclined talieflever, on .appreaching the narrow part of the groove ct they come in contact with the guard or staple T,and are thrown olf or drop, fallingfback into the hopper, whereby'the unadjustcd buttons are prevented from entering and clogging `the machine. Such rejection is facilitated and insured by chamfering off the upper edge. ofY

the lever at the narrowest part of the groove.

`See crossfsectiou in Fig. Si'

The adjusted buttons, on passing into Athe channel E, continue to be guided' byftheir eyesor shanks, and are held' in the channel by a front plate H, Figs.l 5, 6, 7, dsc.'

The take-lever D is shaped to present ay single edge d on top, see Figs. 7 and 8and as it rises through the mass of fastenings in the hopper, they lodge thereon as'tride, andyslide down the lever when inclined as seen in Fig. 5.

The fulcrum ends of the take-'levers are directly above and on 'a level with the receiving ends of the guiding channels; and the fasteners, without changing their position, slip off the end of their lever and drop, feet foremost, into their channel F. See Fig. 5. Thereafter they are guided and controlledin theirchannel by the outer surfaces of their prongs, Figs. 1 and 6,

yThechannels for the buttons and fasteners respectively are preferably formed' in a` vertical bar Q, fitted to slide in suitable ways on the `front of the hopper. The vertical position of the channels enables the buttons and fasteners therein to descend by the force of gravity. Other means may be used to aid their descent and in this instance an up andv down, jolting motion is imparted to the channel-bar, for which purpose such bar has a lug e projecting therefrom 'in the path of the leveriG. At every motionof that lever it takes under said projection, reciprocating, or lifting and dropping saidA bar. The action of the take-levers in the hopper is such, that the channels E, F, are alwayskept supplied with a line of buttonsfand fasteners, sufficient for the continuous Ioperation of the maf chine. L

Projecting into the fastener channel, is aj lever L, having two fingers Z, fm, on the upva bracket s made fast on the .back near the lower'end, which bracket carries an operative pin e that enters the rear end of the feed lever, see Fig. 12, and at every more ment of the channel bar, said feed lever'is vibrated by said pin n, causing s ueh lever to incline alternately in opposite1directions,up ward and downward, indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 1,2.

The space between the upper and lowerl fingers Z, m, of the feed-lever is j ust equal to the length of a metallic fastener. The lower one of the line of fasteners hangs suspended by its bow. or loop on the upper fingerl, when the'lever is in the position indicatedv by full lines in Fig'. 5.

In the upward motion of the feed-levenits inclination is such, that the upper fingerl becomes withdrawn from the fastener 'suspended thereon, whereupon thatjfastener resting on the shoulders of thc lsaid lowest on c `of the line.

See Fig.- 12. In the lowest position of the feed-levenFig.

5, 'itsinclination is such, that the lower finger m becomes withdrawn from the lowest-one oi' the line of fasteners, allowing it to escape and fall. See Fig. 6. Before this happens, howeverthe upper finger Z has come forward, passing under the loop of the fastener next above, and assumes thesupport of the line of fasteners above it, and so prevents the escape of any but the lowest one, as aforesaid, which, being let of the lower finger is thus fed down lto bel united with a button when presented therefor.

See Fig. 6. rlhe' fastener'channel F is vertical and terminates at,t e fastener channel forming ai junction therewith, so that the fasteners and buttons are directed toward each other. Such curved part of the button channel servestotnrn the but-ton to a nearly hori zontal position, Figs. 1 and 9, for receiving a fastener therein assit comes from the chan'- nel F preparatoryfor the operation of the attaching mechanism which Aattaches the button,V by the fastener, to theshoe. i 'lhe foregoing constitute the various means for taking the buttons and lfasteners from the mass, and delivering them in orderly procession preparatory to the operation of attaching the buttons to the shoe.

Various attaching mechanism may-be em- IOO . straight, throughout,but the button channel E,"is curved at the llower end toward, and

fthe channelbar Q and moves .up and vdow-n..

ployed in connection 'with the taking antidelivering apparatus.

machine frame atj, and carries the hammerA K for striking (the fasteners. This hammer has a die-shaped face vpresenting two lobes leaving' a free space between fojrthe header loop o'fthe fastener'an'd the eye-shank of thei button. The'feet of these lobes are adapted to strike the fastener on .the shoulders only,

and directly over its prongs. The fulcrui ofv the drive-lever is so located, that w-hen in .its

lowest position the hammer K projects 'into the fastener channel, and the'moveinent of the hammer there, is approximately vertical, in line with the pathof the fasteners, but when raised up the motion or the drive-lever in a curved line draws back the hammer outof-the range or path of the line of fasteners, leaving their' way unobstructed. The driver leveiyis operated by a suitable treadle (not shown) which communicates with this-lever as by the'treadle-rod J.' Y

- The discharger is an oscillating, crescentshaped. cam M, vmade fast. on an arbor IX which is journaled in the lower extremity of this cam M, the-.entire line OEI-buttons 'in the straight part of the channelrests, 'This cam is so disposed as to sweep-across' the bend in`- thebutton channel, closing itabove the bend;

andas it moves up and down `'with the channelbar,'it is'oscillated on its axis', by means 4of a small #pi-nu that is fixed in apart w,"of -the frame of the 'inachine,'seeEig. 9, and entersa slit t', cnt in one side of a hub kfmadefast on the cam-arbor lsee Figs.5, 6 and 9,

also Figs'. l0 and 11j, whichshow the reverse yThe concave of the j cam M is in vdoepth justthe width of 1a button,"v

side of the channelbar.

andas the lowest button of the line venters small disk y made fasten the cam-arborea.

The holder-bar- R is arranged to slide laterally in bearings in the channelbar directly opposite the discharger vc ain. Its oiice is to hold the button` momentarily lin lo o-operation with thecam M while the fastener drops therein. It is worked by a suitable camand' spring, .in this instance made in onefpiece,

and consisting of a beutwire N made fast at the upper end, and tlieylower end of whichv connects with the holder-bar R, andthebent' fulllzoper'ation, when the drive lever Gis carried down', as by the treadle-ro'dA J (and a treadle) the vtake-levers, thelia'iumer K and the channel-bar, all move d -own together. the Isame time, the dscharger cam oscillates .tol -th'e right allowing the lowest button ofthe line to enter from the channel above. SBB- Fig. 4. When the drive-lever with its hainmer `Kand the take-levers rise, the channel b ar "lifts, the discharger 'cam M, oscillates to the left, the button therein isconveyed-along the bend of the channel by theupper limb of the lcrescent directlyint'o the fastener chan nel, `see Figl, being-now' in anearly horizontalposi.tiou,'r eady to'receive ai metallic fastenertherein fromthefast'e'ner channel. See Fig.;

9. At 'the same timewith'the said conveying motion `of the ,cam-.toward the .fastener chan-V iss nel the hold-bar is moving irrthe contrary direction,v ceasing to move-as thecain stops moving,- and `grasping the button by its eye,

ness tosupply'f a metallic fastenerand at the ,r'n'oment'the cam -M-iand hold-bau R' have takenrrnihold ofs'the butt'onfeyathe 'feed' lever dropsa fastener wl1ichlfalls, thrusting ,f

one leg .through the 'eye -ofthe b 11t, 'to n,:thusuniting a fastener and button.. S ee.-Fig s'2 and 5, On .the-next downward motion ofthe drive-lever. and channel-'barjthe cainM'and hold-,bar R'recede from each other, thus re- .leasing thebutton and its fastener; and by .the further motion 'of the-Cain M th-ey aredis check spring O, in :front of the'buttdng see Fig, 3, until-struck'byhehammer'K, in the actoiattaching the button by its fastener, to

`the shoe. 'As the hammer finishes its downward stroke,'the fastener is driven through the stocks orshoe-y, and clinched on the rinvention, as lcircnmstance's may required said cam, it passes outfrom under the-front plateI-I, but-'is still held to th'echannel by a vthe hopper having'twozcoinpartmenta'for'the' buttons and fasteners respectively, areciprocating channel-bararranged inways on the front of th'ev'hopper'-, and provided with two'- v shanlnels, respectively adapted to receive butftonsandfaste'ners', and direct them to each other and to the. attaching mechanism, 'vibrating levers for supplying said channel-bar with`buttons and fasteners from the hopper,

'and meansof reciprocating the channel-bar.

each other, the drive-lever G connectingmea ns between lever G, and the 'take-levers,

IOO

.charged. When the button and its fastener .A

4are sodi'scharged 'their fall' is arres-ted'by a .[65

'its

and a treadle-rod or pitmanattached to the i drive-lever whereby all the said parte are actuated in unison.

3. The combination with thetwo take-levers Aarranged adjacent to eachother, of the drive pitman of the drive-lever G pivoted thereto,

and the two take-levers-operatively connected with the drive-lever..

5.' The combination with the channel-bar, and the fastener channel therein, of the vibrating,r feed-iever L, slotted at its midlength to receive a fulcrum-pin fr, and the channelbar provided with a bracket, s, carrying an operative pin or stud entering said feed-lever, f whereby this lever is vibratedvbythe motion of the channel-bar.

6. In combination, the Vertical reciprocatf. ing,r channel-bar and means of operatingthe same, such bar provided with separate chaux nels` for both buttons and fasteners and forming a'juuction at their lower ends, means for delivering buttons one by one, by gravity and presentingthem in position for receiving,YM the' fasteners in the eye thereof, anda feeder in the fastener channel serving to feed the fasteners one by one tothe buttons as presented:

the feeding and delivering devices being operated by the motion of the channel-bar.

7i. The combination with the reciprocating channel-bar having button and fastener chan nels therein, and adaptedY to direct them to each other, of a cam M at the junction of the two channels (zo-operating with a hold-bar, R,

to control the button while receiving the fasteners, and a checkspring, as O,.to check the fall of the button when released by said cam and ho1d-loar,y and I retain the united button and fastener until struck by the hammer K.

' 8. The combination with the movable chan-M nelLbar andmeans of operating the same an arbor journaled 'in the .lower end of the channel-bar, which arbor carries at the front or outer end, a crescent shaped cam M, and at the inner end a hub having a slit in one side which'is engaged bya stationary pin u whereby the cam M is oscillated by the motion of the channel-bar.

9. The combination with the channel-bar and the hammer K, of the cam M, and holder- L barR for holding,r the button momentarily while receiving the fastener, .and a checkspring O which detains the united button and fastener until struck by the hammer K, snb stantially, as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New Yorkfancl State of New York, this 30th day of November, A. D. 1892..

IRA JAMES SAUNDERS. Witnesses:

JAMES M. TULLY, JONATHAN MARSHALL. 

